COUNT ON HEALTH: CDC Investigating lung illnesses it believes are linked to vaping

MYRTLE BEACH, SC – (WBTW) The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is working to investigate nearly 200 cases of severe lung illnesses that it believes are linked to vaping.

The cases come from states across the country, as well as from the Carolinas. The majority of the cases the CDC is investigating are in young adults.

Doctors reported common symptoms included shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain and vomiting in some cases.

The most common populations who use vaping devices are those who are trying to quit smoking traditional cigarettes and young adults.

One Grand Strand doctor News13 spoke to said, the growing popularity of e-cigarettes is due to false advertisements and that it is generally regarded as more socially acceptable.

Doctor Larisa Citalos-Deak from the Grand Strand Medical Center says, though e-cigarettes contain less chemicals than traditional cigarettes do, they can still pose a threat to others.

“People think that the smoke associated with smoking cigarettes, a traditional cigarette is worse however, it has shown in research that, the smoke from the vaping can also have some impact on people around,” Citalos-Deak said.

Doctor Citalos-Deak tells News13, even the e-cigarettes that do not contain nicotine also pose a health risk. The flavors used in vaping devices contain carcinogens, a cancer-causing chemical.

“The flavors that are involved into this process of making the vapes, they have bad effects, carcinogens. Nicotine by itself has other effects, it makes you dependent.”